Manny cited in homily

Irish priest Fr. Eamon Anthony Sheridan cited the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao in his homily during the 12:30 p.m. Mass at the Holy Rosary Church on Chatham Road, Hong Kong, last Sunday. And it wasn’t because most of the church-goers were Filipinos.

Fr. Sheridan spoke about how God touches our lives in different ways, how we are called to serve as His disciples or followers. He mentioned Pacquiao as an example of a changed man who encountered God in a dream after his recent fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. Of course, everybody knows Pacquiao’s inspiring rags-to-riches story and there isn’t anyone who doesn’t admire his ascent to the top as a global sports icon. That’s why Fr. Sheridan used Pacquiao as an example. If Pacquiao is an inspiration in the ring, Fr. Sheridan figured he could be an inspiration out of the ring, too.

Fr. Sheridan said he came across a recent story about Pacquiao in the Catholic news website. He shared the good news with the congregation that packed the church. Fr. Sheridan started his homily by acknowledging the presence of the church-goers who came despite pouring rain. Then, he spoke about God tending His flock, calling back sheep that go astray and told Pacquiao’s story.

“Manny had a dream one night and in that dream, he was in a beautiful forest when he heard a voice asking, Why are you going away from Me?” said Fr. Sheridan. “It was the Lord calling Manny back to Him. Manny woke up crying and his pillow was wet with his tears. Right there and then, Manny resolved to walk with God, to change his life.”

I was touched by the story and after Mass, I checked the report on Pacquiao in the Catholic news website the first chance I got. I found the story in the Union for Catholic Asian News or UCANews.com. The story has been carried in other Catholic Asian websites, including one in India, proving Pacquiao’s enormous influence as an international figure.

The report quoted Pacquiao relating to ABS-CBN how he has reformed after his encounter with God in a dream. “If I had died last year or in the last two years, I’m sure I would have gone straight to hell,” Pacquiao was quoted as saying. “My faith in Him was there 100 percent but behind it, after prayers, I would still do evil things.” In the website, Pacquiao said he has stopped gambling, drinking and womanizing after dream of God. “He now immerses himself in Bible study and spends more time with his wife and children,” said the website. “He also gave away his favorite fighting cocks.”

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Pacquiao said, “I woke up crying, I remember I was crying in my dream and when I touched my pillow, it was wet. In the past, God talked to people through their dreams. So I told myself ‘this dream is real and I have to change my life.’ Being a Christian means accepting Christ as your Savior, your God. That is why you’re called a Christian. If you remove ‘Christ,’ there’s only ‘ian’ and that means ‘I am nothing.’”

It’s no secret that before engaging Marquez in Las Vegas last November, Pacquiao wasn’t his usual self. But being the warrior that he is, Pacquiao shrugged off the distractions and beat Marquez by a majority decision. Now that he’s 33, Pacquiao is four fights away from hanging up his gloves late next year or so Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. Pacquiao is at the peak of his boxing career and can surely dominate in the ring beyond 2013 but a calling to be more involved in serving his countrymen as a politician may bring him to another direction.

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Arum is arranging Pacquiao’s next fight and he’d like it to be in late May or June 9 whether the opponent is Floyd Mayweather Jr. or not. Mayweather wants to battle on May 5, a date he has booked at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but neither he nor Pacquiao is Mexican and Cinco de Mayo is a perfect date for a Mexican fighter to headline a boxing show.

Arum said it’s a wasted opportunity if a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown is staged at the MGM facility which has a seating capacity of 16,500. Arum would rather take the fight to an outdoor arena which can accommodate 45,000 on the Strip at Las Vegas. But Arum said May 5 is too soon for the arena to be built.

If the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight doesn’t materialize in May or June, Arum will find another opponent for the Filipino icon. Lamont Peterson has been ordered by the WBA to take on Amir Khan in a rematch and will likely be scratched as an option. A fourth meeting with Marquez may not be a pay-per-view attraction and a rematch with Miguel Cotto won’t mean anything in Pacquiao’s resume.

That could leave unbeaten WBO lightwelterweight champion Timothy Bradley as the last alternative. Bradley’s manager is Cameron Dunkin who also handles Nonito Donaire Jr. and the fighter is promoted by Arum, too. So getting Bradley to step up to the plate won’t be a problem. Selling the fight would be the next step and nobody does it better than Arum.